The Student-Centered Shift: Empowered International Schools and Classrooms Through Project-Based Learning
Want to turn your classroom into a hub of curiosity, innovation, and real-world impact but don’t know where to start?
The Student-Centered Shift with internationally acclaimed educator Kyle Wagner equips international school educators with the simple shifts to move from passive to active learning spaces, so you can grow more engaged and empowered learners.
Each week, Kyle interviews forward-thinking educators who share actionable strategies and proven frameworks to create a classroom buzzing with energy and purpose. Past guests include project-based powerhouse Ron Berger and bestselling author Gary Stager. By tuning in, you’ll unlock:
* The mindset shifts needed to transition from teacher-led to student-centered spaces.
* Strategies to empower students as independent thinkers, creators, and problem-solvers.
* Tips for designing and implementing project-based experiences
* Practical ways to redefine your role from instructor to facilitator.
Discover how Kyle made the same shifts to transform his own teaching from burnout to breakthrough—guiding students to publish bestselling novels, launch businesses, and build museums. Over 1,000 classrooms have experienced similar results worldwide—will yours be next? Let’s shift learning together!
- Update frequency
- every 11 days
- Average duration
- 37 minutes
- Episodes
- 106
- Years Active
- 2021 - 2025
Co-Creating a Public Exhibition of Student Work w/ Alison Yang
How do you make student work public?
That's a scary proposition for many of us as educators.
But what if it's not for us to decide?
What if we turned over control of the whole process to our studen…
Scaling PBL across a school and community w/ David Moore
Are you the lone innovator in a school that doesn't get project-based learning? How do get more on baord for PBL and scale it across the school? David Moore, a school leader, PBL practitioner and vi…
Designing a Cross-Disciplinary, SEL Focused Project w/ KPIS
How can one project unite previously isolated teachers, build SEL and cross-disciplinary skills in students, and transform a community?
Welcome to the Sensory Therapy Games and Toys Project by the Y…
Teaching ESL through PBL w/ Lua Yaganagi
When a girl from Cuba arrived in Lua's PBL class, she had zero English.
But within two months, because of a hands-on project, she was able to deliver full presentations in her second language.
In th…
First Nations Reconciliation Project- Creating Empathetic Citizens with Christopher Bush
Micro Schools for Macro Change w/ Michael Ha
What if you were given a blank canvas to design a new school from the ground up?
How would students spend their day? What learning experiences would it include? What would the building look like? Wou…
The Global Blueprint: Fostering Global Citizenship Through PBL w/ Fardeen Blaq
What if we allowed students to design their own project-based experiences?
Formulate their own questions, connect with relevant experts, and find authentic audiences. What global IMPACT might they ha…
Addressing 🇺🇦 Ukraine Invasion through a Model United Nations Project w/ Rob Gold
From great 'Resignation' to Re-Imagination: Life Lessons for Aspiring Teachers with Todd Shy
These past 2 years have been some of the toughest we have ever faced as educators. We've been asked to teach in new mediums. Had to work double shifts. Been required to work in unsafe conditions. A…
Building Community Partnerships for PBL experiences with Julia Kao
How do you build community partners for project-based experiences to make learning more 'real world,' and meaningful for students? There's the 'old school' way of doing things. 🥱 Plan a learning ex…
The 12 Shifts for Learner-Centered PBL Environments with Kyle Wagner
15 years ago, as a rookie PBL teacher, I wouldn't be able to answer that question. But after leading and teaching in some of the most renowned PBL schoo…
How to Find Collaborators and Expand Audiences for PBL with Kelly Pfeiffer
What if there was a way to expand th…
Accelerating Learner-Centered Environments with a micro-PBL program with Kim Flintoff
What does a theater director and the coordinator of a wall-to-wall PBL program have in common?
They are both experts in facilitating several projects at once.
Whether that's script writing and set de…
Gamifying Your PBL Experience with Ayesha Inam
When Ayesha Inam moved her co-designed project online, something unfortunate happened.
She watched 100% engagement in class dwindle to less than 50% online. Half of her kids weren't even showing up t…
Improving Mental/Emotional Well-Being through PBL
Start 2022 with a Vision Board
Do you set New Year's Resolutions?
I used to. Until I broke nearly all of them by February. Sound familiar?
Vision Boarding is a FAR more effective way to reach milestones you never dreamed possible…
'Letting Go' and Building Future Mindsets w/ Yvette Larson
Do you have a hard time letting go of control in the classroom?
Letting go isn't easy. It requires trust and confidence in our learners, while we take a backstage role in the classroom.
But when we …
Building an 'Ethic of Excellence' with Ron Berger
You know that buzz you hear when you walk into a classroom that is completely learner-owned?
That's world renowned Ron Berger's classroom... And his students are ALWAYS working on something meaningfu…
How to Get 'Buy-In' for PBL w/ Catriona Woodward
How do you take the first steps into project-based learning, and help others across your school take theirs? How do you get the critical 'buy-in' from parents, students, teachers to really help PBL …
Building Agile Classrooms with Ros Jackson
Imagine a classroom full of students who move seamlessly from project task to project task; self-directed, self-managed, and self-empowered...
While the teacher facilitates seamlessly in the backgro…